One hour, Ladies! Fire up the treadmill, tune up the bicycle, invest in that great pair of sneakers, and get ready to brag that you've earned your awesome figure--because it's really true!
A study appearing in yesterday's Journal of the American Medical Association (which consisted of 34,079 middle-aged women followed for nearly 13 years at Harvard's Women's Hospital) concluded that at least an hour of moderate activity a day is needed for older women at a healthy weight who aren't dieting simply to just maintain their current weight. For those who are already overweight - and that's most American women - even more exercise is called for to avoid gaining weight without eating less, the study results suggest.
The study underscores some inevitabilities about aging. Men and women often put on weight, partly because their metabolism slows down - not to mention the hormonal changes in menopause that also can make women prone to weight gain, especially around the belly.
"Kate, I don't have that kind of time" stated one of my female clients this morning upon learning this information. It's okay! Women simply must become more mindful of their caloric intake as they age, while remembering the benefits of exercise (heart health and chronic disease protection) that extend beyond the dreaded "changing room tri-fold mirror" - even if one doesn't get enough activity to lose weight.
The bottom line is simply not to be discouraged! Keep a variety of activities in your workout, look for simple ways to clean up your diet, and make sure you are taking the steps necessary (even if it is 60-minutes worth!) to care for your maturing body.
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